The Dalton, Ohio-based company known for its woodcrafts and personalized art and gifts hopes to meet with U.S. buying representatives at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou next month and is introducing some of its products to the Chinese market.

Eight of PGD's most popular engraved wood plaques have been translated using Mandarin characters, including "Be still and know that I am God."

"China has a burgeoning middle class market looking for products made in Europe and the United States," said company co-president Joe Knutson. "What makes P. Graham Dunn unique and gives us the strongest competitive edge against the Chinese manufacturing industry is our wood carving expertise."

Knutson added: "We recognize that taking our technology to China potentially sets us up for being knocked off by the Chinese manufacturers, but that is a risk we a willing to take."

As well as providing a shop window to Chinese buyers, the Guangzhou event attracts representatives of major U.S. dealers. "While we have been able to nudge open a few doors to meet with the appropriate people, the vast majority of these retailers are difficult to get product in front of," said Knutson. "What we do know is that many of these buyers will walk the large sourcing shows in Asia.  Why not meet them where they shop?"

The Chinese venture has a personal dimension for company founder Peter Dunn, who was born in China to missionary parents. He will be at the show under his Chinese name, Huang Ming Yuan.  "It is important, that I you wish to be taken seriously by the Chinese, that you have a Chinese name, in the same way any Chinese person that wants to be taken seriously outside of China has an English name," he said.

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